In the past, components used in vehicle washing lines have been hydraulically driven. These various components include the conveyor system that moves a vehicle through the wash line. The hydraulic systems of the past have also been configured to operate at a set rate or rates of speed without any type of control mechanism for maximizing the overall efficiency of the system. Thus, there is a need to maximize the efficiency of the system by controlling the rate of speed at which the system operates.
Additionally, the efficiency of the system may be improved from the standpoint of controlling the number of resources used. Typically, the components in the vehicle washing line include nozzles for applying liquids, and chemical mixing devices for applying various chemicals in predetermined ratios to the vehicle. Additionally, other components of the car wash include wheel systems for agitating and washing the sides and tops of vehicles, and also include some type of drying system used for drying vehicles at the end of the conveyor line. In order for the components of the car wash system to operate properly, all the wash components are calibrated to run based on the conveyor line moving the vehicle at a single speed. The speed of the conveyor was controlled separately from the other vehicle wash components. The speed of vehicle throughput could only be changed by changing conveyor speed without changing the speed of the other wash components or without changing the speed of the other components automatically. Certain wash components only operate at a single speed, or are adjustable but do not have the ability to compensate for the change in speed of the conveyor. In the past, the only options that were available to the car wash operator were options for turning on and off certain features individually, such as various cleaning features which may be used in various levels of the wash such as may be selected by the vehicle wash consumer.
Therefore, there has been a need in the art of vehicle wash systems to allow more flexibility in controlling vehicle throughput and other features of a vehicle wash line. In addition to controlling the rate of vehicle throughput of the system, it is also desirable to control the operating characteristics of the individual components which are part of the vehicle washing system. By controlling the operating characteristics such as equipment speed, water flow, number of drying units used, and the mixing of wash chemicals, the overall system can be improved to reduce operating costs and maximize the use of resources.